Electric float



F. H. FISHER ELECTRIC FLOAT June 18, 1940.

Filed Oct. 25, 1938 ATTO R N EYS 1 mm Jun'e1 1940 UNITED STATE s PATENT orrlcs a 1 f -m so'mcmoa'r we morn-am. Cleveland, can when october as, ms, serial No. asses mm (0L H) My invention relates to improvements in nshing floats and more particularly to-a float adapted for nlghtnshing. j I

One of the principal objects-o1 my invention is s toprovideaiishingiioatthatissimpleincom struction, easy of manutacture. and extremely practical in use.

- Another object oi my invention is to provide a .iishing iioat for night nshing, embodyin a sig- 'nal lamp which will be energised and causedto iiash intermittently bythe nibbling 01' a fish upon a line attached to the float. p

A further object of my invention is to provide a fishing float for. night fishing that will remain l6 illuminated when a fish-runs with the line at-. tached to the float.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a fishing float that will permit the wearing partstobeeasilyreplacedwhen Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description. v

In the accompanying drawingdorming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same; I v

' Figure l is a side elevation of a device embodying my invention showing a line and hook attached thereto.

Figure 2-1; a side elevation of adevice em bodyins my invention showing parts in section and parts in elevation.

Hgure3isatransversesectiontakenonthe line 3-4 of Figure 1. In the drawing, wherein for the purpose oi! illustration, is shown a preferred t or my invention, the numeral 4 d a float made from any suitable buoyant material which is slidably carried by the elongated'body portion I. The body portion I, which is made'oi any suitableinsulatingmaterialsuchashardmbberp Bakelite, or the like, tapers at its-either end iorm shank members i and I and has a slot extending longitudinally along its axis but-terminating adiacenttheshankmemberstand nghtcoilspringslandilcarriedbytheshanks' land'l oithebodyportionlserve ineansiortheline ll andalsopermitthehook io besuitably adiustedwithresn tto'theiioat. Pirmlysecuredwithintheslotlisahollow cylinder II which functions as awatertight eas ing for the electric circuit hereinl-fter described.

The cylinder Il may be made from conductive material. Disposed within the cylin- 3 der it and groundedtherebyis anngertype hat-v member which forms a watertight union with the spring I! serves'to keep the various units within beneath thefsuriace of the water and the shank water as illustrated in Figure l. This position tery it which contacts themercury type-switch ll through the'terminal it and connection ll. said switch being insulated from the cylinder It by means of a suitable insulating material ll. Fitted within the end ll of the cylinder II and 6 forming a watertight union therewith u asocket member 20 which. ism'ade of a conductive ma-' terialand carries a flashlight bulb 2|. or thelike.

interposed between the socket member ll and the mercury type switch II is" an insulating 1o" washer 22 which holds the-contact 23' in axial alignment with the contact ll of thelbulb II. Connection II completes the circuit between the terminal It 0! the mercury type switch II and the bulb Ii. The cylinder it functions as a re- 16 v turn conductor between the bulb Ii and the batt ry ll.

The numeral 21 designates a removable plug end" of the cylinder II, and serves as a'seat go for the coil spring I! which is interposed between a said plug and the finger type battery I. The

the cylinder II in close frictional engagement with each other thereby insuring a good elecg5 trical contact at all times. Clip member 80 is attached exteriorly of the cylinder ll andpermits the float to be conveniently carried in a pocket and used as a flashlight if desired.

The operation of the electric float is as follows:' 30- The float member 4 is adiillted longitudinally along the body member I so that the device will be so balanced thatit will iloat with the shank I l-positioned slightly above the surface or the 'lherioatlisadiustabletoproperlyposition thedevice'lnthewaterandtoallowvarylns weightsotsinkerstobeusedonthelineattached It is to be understood that the form of my invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes and modifications in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A fishing float comprising an elongated'body member of nonconductible material provided at it ends with shanks and having a longitudinally extending slot therein, spring means attached to said shanks for holding a line slidably attached thereto, a float means carried by the body member and slidable thereon, a hollow cylinder secured within the longitudinally extending slot of said body member, a battery contained within said cylinder, a mercury type switch and an insulating cover therefor arranged in axial alignment with said battery, a connection between said mercury type switch and said battery, a

i socket plug hermetically sealing one end of said cylinder, a bulb contained by said socket plug, an insulating washer interposed between said socket plug and said mercury switch, a contact means carried by said washer and maintained in engagement with the said bulb, a connection between said contact means and said mercury switch, a removable plug member fitting into the end of the cylinder opposite that end carrying the said socket plug and making a watertight union therewith, and a spring means interposed between said plug member and said battery and functioning to maintain all members within said cylinder in close frictional engagement with each other.

2. A fishing float comprising an elongated body member of nonconductible material, provided at its ends with shanks and having a longitudinally extending slot therein, spring means attached to said shanks for holding a line slidably attached thereto, a float carried by the body member and slidable thereon to properly position the fishing float in the water, a hollow cylinder of conducting material secured within the longitudinally extending slot of said body member, a source of electrical energy within said cylinder, a socket member positioned in and sealing one end of the cylinder, a removable filler plug positioned in the other end of the cylinder and hermetically sealing the same, a bulb for said socket member, a switch means interposed between said source of electrical energy and said bulb, a fixed contact means interposed between said bulb and said switch contacting said bulb but spaced from said switch, a connection between said contact means and said switch, a connection between said switch and said source of energy, and a liquid conductible material within said switch means, the latter making a connection to said first mengagement with said bulb, a connection between said switch and said contact means, a connection between said switch and said source of electrical'energy, a liquid conductible material contained by said switch means for making a connection between said first mentioned connection and said second mentioned connection when the float is actuated vertically from its point of rest, and means to render said cylinder watertight.

4. In a fishing float, means for illuminating said float when it is inclined substantially from its point of rest comprising a cylindrical housing carried by the float, a source of energy within said housing, a socket positioned in and sealing one end of said housing, a bulb contained by said socket, a switch means interposed between said bulb and said source of energy, a fixed contact means maintained in close frictional engagement with said bulb but normally spaced from the switch, a connection between said switch and said contact means, a connection between said switch and said source of electrical energy, a

liquid conductible material contained by saidswitch means for making a connection between said first mentioned connection and said second mentioned connection when the float is actuated v vertically irom its point oi rest, spring means for holding all elements in close frictional engagement with each other, and means to render said cylindrical housing watertight.

5. An illuminating device for a float comprising a cylindrical casing carried by a fishing float, a battery within said casing, a mercury type switch and an insulated cover therefore arranged in axial alignment with said battery, a connection between said mercury type switch and said battery, a socket plug hermetically sealing one end of said casing, a bulb contained by said socket plug, an insulating washer interposed between said socket plug and said mercury switch, a contact means carried by said washer and main tained in engagement with the said bulb, a connection between said contact means and said mercury switch, and a removable plug member fitted into the end of the casing opposite that end carrying the said socket plug and effecting a watertight union therewith.

Fos'rna HENRY FISHER. 

